Substance abuse exacts a heavy toll on the American workplace, a new analysis shows. Employees who struggle with drinking and drug addiction miss many more days of work, have higher health care costs and are less productive than those without these disorders, researchers report. An analysis revealed that employees with substance use disorders miss nearly [...]
The abuse of prescription drugs—especially controlled substances—is a serious social and health problem in the United States today. People addicted to prescription medication come from all walks of life. The last people we would suspect of drug addiction are health care professionals-those people trusted with our well-being. Unfortunately, health care workers are as likely as [...]
If substance abuse is contributing to an employee’s poor performance, ignoring or avoiding the issue will not help the situation. An employee’s use of alcohol or drugs may be the root of the performance problem; however, substance abuse on the part of someone close to the employee also could be the source. Regardless, abuse of [...]
Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s website for resources to help keep your workplace drug free.
Performance Inconsistent quality of work Poor concentration Lowered productivity Increased absenteeism Unexplained disappearances from the jobsite Carelessness, mistakes Errors in judgment Needless risk taking Disregard for safety Extended lunch periods and early departures Behavior Frequent financial problems Avoidance of friends & colleagues Blaming others for own problems Complaints about problems at home Deterioration of personal appearance [...]
No matter the addiction—drugs, gambling, shopping, smoking, alcohol or more—people who want to kick their habit in the new year might find help in a new Harvard University publication. "Overcoming Addiction: Paths toward recovery" offers guidance for breaking unwanted addictive habits. The advice applies universally, because what all addictions have in common, the Harvard experts [...]